INTRO/MYSELF

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I live in Paris, France. I love exploration and nature, which is around the town very limited.

I started photography underground, mainly in abandoned man-made stone quarries in Paris suburb. I also do landscape photography (preferably with long exposure or various technics) during my trips abroad. This Flickr is only dedicated to my underground photography which I isolate from the rest of my work for now.

I am part of "Paris Catacombs" "explorer community" where I am known as "Lion", hence the name of this Flickr.

Attracted by exploration, adventure and nature, I quickly got hooked when I was initiated to it several years ago. I was then not making photos but I had friends which were doing photography underground and which I followed during explorations... I quickly wanted to do the same, attracted by their work and the creative approach involved in this type of photography.

PROCESS/APPROACH

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As a "detail" person, the "not easy" process of making beautiful underground photography was very appealing. Quarries are perfectly still subjects. You have eternity to picture them so you have all the time to make a "perfect" shot, fine-tuning your camera and the lighting.

At the same time, making those photography in those places is a complicated process of resuscitating those dark and dead places. All locations I shot are indeed pitch black, this is my lighting that brings back life and there is an infinite way to interpret the location which involve an artistic approach.

Even if I prefer to transcript the reality of locations with true colors and transparent and discreet lightning, I sometimes take a more artistic approach with more dramatic shots involving interesting shadows or colors I create in the location.

My photos are the result of an industrial and meticulous process in which I strive to make the best of my camera and to transcript as close as possible what I see when I am there.

LOCATIONS

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In term of "subjects", I like to shoot photos when you can only see mineral elements including man-made consolidations and architectural work. I am not attracted in photographing rusty thing. I leave that to "urbex" people which I do not want to be associated with. You will never see any "urban" locations on this Flickr.

LIGHTING

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Finally, there is the lighting part, the most important parameter. I personally use various lighting technics and tools, from carbide lamp and candles which to flashlights. Light produced by flame remains my preferred as I think it the most beautiful light and it revives beautifully stone and especially limestone which is yellowish. I am in a learning process to master long exposure and lighting technics. This is what makes it so exciting...

POST-PROCESSING

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As for the post-processing part, I have my own taste and some strong convictions. I am striving to make my post-processing as light as possible. I do not like unrealistic/fake images nor ugly HDR. I am taking pictures, not making them on my computers. For those reasons, I apply very subtle or none clarity and sharpening and I make no color corrections. I use only Camera Raw but I may rarely erase a graffiti that I would have not been able to avoid or hide on location...

CAMERA/LENSES

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Canon EOS 6D mainly with 17 / 40 mm f/4.0 L USM

Thank you for reading this first "bio". I would be very happy to hear your critics on my photos to improve.

Love . April 2017